Of Christmas, Family, And Unshed Tears
by BaronOBeefDip
Summary: It's the holidays once again and everybody's celebrating. However, how can Danny Phantom enjoy the holidays when he has to spend it with his worst nightmare?
1. Unwanted Company

**DISCLAIMER: Danny Phantom belongs Mr. Hartman. This fanfic belongs to me. The holidays belong to a group of overly politically-correct nutjobs who want to take away every holiday tradition until we are left with nothing but snow and ice.**

The holidays were soon approaching. Children were outside building snowmen and counting down each moment until they would enjoy their festivities with their loved ones. Parents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, grandparents, and all other relatives were busy scrambling about from one store to another finding the latest "must have" gifts for their loved ones. And, the streets were decorated with elaborate light and plastic reindeer decorations.

Yes, the holidays at Amity Park were just like any other city. That is...if one ignored the ghosts that visited the city as well partaking in the same activities as the humans. However, the city's residence were used to it. After all, their local...and worldwide...hero, Danny Fenton AKA Danny Phantom was part ghost. Even the statue dedicated to the half-ghost was decorated in tribute to the holidays.

Danny himself, however, wasn't too fond of looking forward to the holidays. It wasn't that he hated Christmas. No, he no longer hated the holiday like he did years ago. Still, he grew more than a little annoyed by his parents constant bickering over whether or not Santa Claus existed. The half-ghost learned that hanging out with his friends until his parents came to their senses prevented all of them from being driven mad by one another. His parents understood their son wasn't being rude by avoiding them for much of the holiday season; Danny just didn't want to get involved in any of their Santa VS No-Santa conflicts.

This year, however, he was dreading the holidays. It had to do with the whole "Ghost's cannot fight one another" law. That's what he dreaded about it. All ghosts, humans, and half-ghosts were expected to treat each other with respect, kindness, and compassion around this time of the year. Normally, Danny enjoyed the peace and quiet. When they weren't trying to kill him, Danny's ghostly foes were really an enjoyable group to be around.

But now, now he dreaded that very law. He groaned audibly as he bit into another French fry at the Nasty Burger. It was a miracle he could hold anything down in his stomach considering the knots it was being tied into from anxiety.

"Dude, calm down." Tucker Foley, his techno-geek friend and the youngest mayor ever elected in Amity Park's history spoke, "I mean, it can't be that bad."

"CAN'T BE THAT BAD!?" Danny shouted in disbelief before calming down, "Sorry. It's just...I have to spend Christmas break with that...that thing!"

Sam, Danny's current girlfriend and gothic girl who constantly raged against the machine frowned slightly in response.

"A thing!?" she replied in annoyance, "As much as I really...REALLY hate to admit it, that 'thing' happens to be a sentient creature!"

The half-ghost sighed in defeat, "What does it matter? Tonight begins several long days of me being stuck with a...a UGH! I can't even think of a word horrible enough to describe it."

He then glanced down at his watch. 7:35 PM. The Nasty Burger would close in a few hours. Waving goodbye to his friends, the half-ghost flew back home to Fenton Works. Danny let out a somewhat content sigh as the cold crisp Winter air seemed to calm his nerves a bit. Upon reaching the blatantly obvious building, Danny turned intangible and phased himself inside.

"Mom?" Danny called out, "Dad? Jazz? I'm home. Anybody!?"

"No need to shout, dear." Maddie spoke as she noticed her son and gave him a hug, "How was your day?"

Danny shrugged in response, "Fine...I guess."

"Oh, by the way, Danny, we have company." Jack called from the living room, "Come and say hello!"

Company? Already? Danny could already feel his stomach tighten into more knots and his nerves crumble into dust. He knew this moment would've come sooner or later. Silently, he hoped it was just his grandparents or some crazy aunt or uncle. He even wished it was one of his obnoxious cousins.

Alas, it wasn't so. Danny felt his organs smash into one another in absolute anxiety as he noticed the being that was in the living room with his father and sister.

It wasn't that the guest wasn't bound in a straight-jacket and restrained to one of those two-wheeled gurney things that caused Danny to sweat profusely. Nor was it the "Hannibal Lecter" style muzzle that caused the half-ghost's body to tremble in fear.

No, it was the appearance of the guest. Reptilian blood-red eyes, blue-green skin, pointed ears, flaming white hair, fangs. Only one ghost could ever fit that physical description...

...Danny's evil, psychotic, alternate-future self.

**Author's Notes: What's this!? Dan is spending time with his ex-family? What will happen next? Stay tuned to find out! **


	2. A Monster Of A Guest

**DISCLAIMER: This concludes the pointless section of this fanfic! And now, back to our story-**

"Are you out of your freaking mind!?" Danny asked in a combination of shock, confusion, disbelief, and absolute disgust.

"Now, Danny," Jack replied, "Dan here just wanted to spend time wit his family."

"Dan?" the half-ghost replied in confusion, "His name is Dan?"

"That's what the orderlies who brought him here said." Jazz replied.

Danny frowned at the sight of Dan. His alternate-futue self's eyes were darting around like a predator trying to focus on a potential prey. Dan's chest moved up and down with each breath though the restraints kept him from taking very deep breaths. In all honesty, Danny never could figure out why full-ghosts would still breathe when it was no longer a necessity. Force of habit, perhaps. The evil future-ghost's flaming hair flickered about upon his head as if performing some sort of macabre dance.

To Danny's shock and dismay, both Jack and Jazz approached Dan and carefully began to remove the restraints one by one.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" shouted the teen superhero shouted feeling his heart jump right into his throat.

"Oh, would you calm down?" Jazz frowned after being tired for, in her opinion, far too long.

Danny retorted with anger burning in his veins, "Those restraints are the only thing that is keeping HIM from blowing US to pieces!"

"Isn't there a law around Christmas that prevents ghosts from doing that?" the ghost-hunting father asked in confusion as he helped Dan out of his straight-jacket.

The half-ghost said nothing in response. His father was right. Dan, technically, couldn't do anything wrong or else he would be end up in Walker's Prison along with all the other ghostly citizens who dared to break the rule-obsessed ghost's laws that ranged from the logical to the downright ridiculous.

Dan stretched his arms and legs as he instinctively flexed his muscles to make sure he could still move. He idly walked from one side of the living room to the other seemingly ignoring the others that shared the room with him at the moment. All that was left to hold back his destructive powers now was the muzzle which still covered his face.

To Danny's dismay, however, Dan managed to tear the muzzle from his face with little effort. The insane ghost yawned popping his jaws back into place. His forked tongue flopped out of his mouth as he yawned again. Danny silently noted to himself of yet another one of his alternate-self's reptilian features. He smirked and wondered if Dan was capable of swallowing something the size of his head whole.

"I should thank you for freeing me from those wretched restraints." Dan spoke idly, "But, I'm not that kind of person."

Maddie asked as she entered the room, "Is there anything I can get for you, dear?"

"Uh..." Dan replied unsure of what to say, though his growling stomach soon made it clear to everyone what he wanted, "Something to eat, I guess..."

**Author's Notes: Thank you for the reviews! The next part is coming soon. **


	3. After Dinner Headache

**DISCLAIMER: (Takes a deep breath) BWAAAAAAH!**

He was asleep.

Danny was never more relieved in his life. Dan, that twisted alternate-future abomination, was sound asleep. The half-ghost sighed as if the weight of the world was, for now, off of his shoulders. If he was lucky, Dan would sleep for the next few hours giving him what little peace he would had for the next few days.

"I've never seen anyone with such an appetite before." Maddie replied sounding tired from all the cooking she did for her ex-son.

Jack nodded, "Or someone who gained weight so quickly before. He's rounder than your great aunt's potbellied pig."

Dan merely ignored their comments. It wasn't his fault, after all, that he hadn't had a decent meal in months. Of course, now he was painfully aware of his own gluttony. Each slight movement he made caused him to wince in pain. He silently cursed himself for being such a pig. Groaning audibly in his sleep, the evil future-ghost rested his hands against his now rather fat stomach and leaned back further into the chair he now rested in.

Jazz spoke, "Well, at least he's full and content for now. The orderlies did say something about him eating only once a few months."

"I can see why." Danny frowned in response at Dan's engorged self.

Dan growled as he woke up, "I can still hear you, ya know..."

Danny muttered under his breath, "Maybe I can roll him down a hill and see how far he goes...or enter him as a float in the next parade."

"And people call me a jerk." scoffed the twisted poltergeist.

"At least I didn't try to blow up my family..."

"And at least I'm not a self-centered son of a bitch..." Dan snarled, "Uh, no offense, Mom...nothing personal..."

Maddie merely sighed in response. This was going to be a long vacation.

"Both of you, cut it out." Jazz said in annoyance, "You two are worse than when Mom and Dad fight over the possible existence or non-existence of Santa Claus."

"Speaking of fat guys with white beards..."

"Ok," Dan hissed, "we get it...I gained a few pounds..."

Jack leaned over towards Maddie and whispered into her ear, "That's a few?"

** Author's Notes: Yeah, I know its' short, but I was kinda rushed in writing it. Anyway, thanks for the reviews. The next part is coming soon.**


End file.
